Extraordinary Apparitions in Zeitoun, Egypt (I)

As of May 5, 1968 the Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Pope Kyrillos VI officially recognized the apparitions that started on April 2, 1968, in Zeitoun, a suburb of Cairo. Bishops and priests on the Board of Inquiry established by Pope Kyrillos VI authenticated the testimonies collected all the more readily, since these men had seen the apparitions themselves on occasion, along with innumerable other believers. The official declaration of Kyrillos VI on May 5, 1968, was published in the main Egyptian and foreign press: "The Patriarch declares with good faith, great joy and humble gratitude towards the Almighty, that the Blessed Virgin Mary has appeared on several occasions in visible form, over a period of several days. Since April 2, 1968, up to the present day, the apparitions have lasted for various lengths of time, for up to more than two hours, on the top of the Coptic Church of Zeitoun, in Cairo, on Matarieh Road, where the Holy Family lived during her stay in Egypt, just as tradition relates. We hope that this blessing will be a sign of peace in the world and a happy omen of prosperity for our beloved and blessed country."